A local council in inner-west Sydney is fighting relentless graffiti tagging by playing matchmaker between sympathetic property owners and mural artists looking for a bricks-and-mortar canvas to create eye-popping public art.

Marrickville Council’s courageous and innovative Perfect Match program, which began last year, matches property owners whose walls have been bedevilled by talentless tagging with inspired mural artists on the same wave length to transform walls into contemporary outdoor street art galleries.

It’s a pursuit that’s as much financial as it is artistic. Part of the rationale behind the public art project is to channel money that would normally be spent removing graffiti into employing Australian street artists and creating memorable works of art.

Government News spoke to a recipient of last year’s Perfect Match, Kathy Andiranakos who works at Rallis Timber in Marrickville.

The timber merchant, near Sydenham Station, was a victim of persistent tagging and applied to the program to try and escape the urban scourge.

Ms Andiranakos said the council sent her examples of various artists’ work to see what she liked the look of.

“There were a couple that we didn’t really like because they were a bit cartoony or abstract. Because we’re a timber yard and because of where it is we wanted something a bit more earthy,” Ms Andiranakos said.

The council matched Rallis Timber with world renown mural artist Fintan Magee, whose studio is in nearby Glebe.

The end result was an arresting mural of a cowboy/bushranger on horseback surrounded by trees and flames, influenced by the time Mr Magee spent in Queensland during the bush fires.

“It’s pretty amazing and the wall hasn’t been tagged since,” she said.

Sydney’s Inner West has long been famous for its street art, whether it’s the I Have a Dream mural in Newtown, Erskineville’s The Idiot Box, featuring a gun-toting Marcia Brady bursting out of a TV (now removed) or the Three Proud People mural near Macdonaldtown station.

Last year, the council spent around $45,000 on 14 new art works under the Perfect Match program.

Marrickville Council Mayor Mark Gardiner said the project had performed beyond expectations.

“Our residents really embraced the whole idea of being matched with a like-minded artist and together helping to combat that inner city irritant – tagging,” Mr Gardiner said.

“In fact the 2014 Perfect Match ended up becoming a council-wide celebration. Plus, Marrickville acquired some amazing public art from some of the best mural artists in the world – Fintan Magee being one.

“This is money well-spent, because of the savings in graffiti prevention – and the gain in our innovative contemporary arts programs,” he said.

He said councils did not generally remove graffiti on private walls, unless it is particularly offensive or insulting.

“This [program] is allowing private building owners to relieve themselves of the problem it causes.”

Mr Gardiner believed the idea for the project had come from Marrickville Council staff. Darwin City Council are understood to be interested in replicating it.

“It’s a terrific program and I encourage people to apply.”

Another satisfied public art recipient is Enmore property owner Ben Isackson, who asked to be matched with his favourite street artist Daniel O’Toole (Ears).

“I’ve always loved Ears’ work even before I knew who he was. I had to find out ‘who is this guy?’ I tracked him down and the council matched us up,” Mr Isackson said.

Mr Isackson had only just bought his house and his neighbours told him about the program.

“I couldn’t be happier. Thank you, Marrickville Council, for ridding my wall of graffiti and commissioning an artist to bring beauty to my street. The remarks from the community have been overwhelmingly positive,” he said.